Even without pumpkin pie, readers will hunt down this delightful Halloween offering.
Going on a pumpkin hunt isn’t for scaredy-cats.
No, it’s for six costumed animal pals, on the prowl for the “biggest pumpkin in town” on a dark night. Inspired by the classic We’re Going on a Bear Hunt,this peppy tale also stars an intrepid, adventurous band trekking through a who-knows-what-we’ll-find? landscape. As in that story, some odd noises punctuate the journey past various obstacles. “Are you scared?” asks one or another of the bigger animals of the little mouse along the way, but it professes bravery each time. This hunt is quite the enterprise, involving mountain climbing, walking through grass, tree climbing, rowing, and trumping through a pumpkin patch—where the group encounters…never mind. Beating a hasty retreat, the pals race past all their previous hurdles until they reach home—without stopping to hear something really important a now-laughing mouse wants to tell them. After all their travails, the friends decide the best pumpkin in town is “the yummiest”—in the pie they bake together. This comical, rollicking story is delicious, too, filled with sweetness and autumnal good cheer, buoyed by the pals’ camaraderie. The charming, delicate line illustrations exude good spirits, and they feature lots of activity, nighttime ambiance, and white space. Readers will want to join these good-natured, adorable animals—pig, mole, duck, mouse, rabbit, and squirrel—on their pumpkin-hunting exploits.
Even without pumpkin pie, readers will hunt down this delightful Halloween offering. (Picture book. 3-7)Pub Date: Aug. 4, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-62354-118-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Charlesbridge
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2020
These reindeer games are a bit tired but, given the series’ popularity, should have a large, ready-made audience.
The How to Catch A… crew try for Comet.
Having already failed to nab a Halloween witch, the Easter Bunny, a turkey, a leprechaun, the Tooth Fairy, and over a dozen other iconic trophies in previous episodes of this bestselling series, one would think the racially diverse gaggle of children in Elkerton’s moonlit, wintry scenes would be flagging…but no, here they lay out snares ranging from a loop of garland to an igloo baited with reindeer moss to an enticing candy cane maze, all in hopes of snagging one of Santa’s reindeer while he’s busy delivering presents. Infused with pop culture–based Christmas cheer (“Now I’ve already seen the shelf with the elf”), Comet prances past the traps until it’s time to gather up the kids, most of whom look terrified, for a group snapshot with the other reindeer and then climb back into harness: “This was a great stop but a few million to go / Christmas Eve must continue with style!” Though festive, the verse feels trite and unlikely to entice youngsters. A sprinkling of “True Facts About Reindeer” (“They live in the tundra, where they have friends like the arctic bunny”) wrap up this celebration of the predatory spirit. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
These reindeer games are a bit tired but, given the series’ popularity, should have a large, ready-made audience. (Picture book. 5-7)Pub Date: Oct. 4, 2022
ISBN: 9781728276137
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: Dec. 12, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Sadly, the storytelling runs aground.
A little red sleigh has big Christmas dreams.
Although the detailed, full-color art doesn’t anthropomorphize the protagonist (which readers will likely identify as a sled and not a sleigh), a close third-person text affords the object thoughts and feelings while assigning feminine pronouns. “She longed to become Santa’s big red sleigh,” reads an early line establishing the sleigh’s motivation to leave her Christmas-shop home for the North Pole. Other toys discourage her, but she perseveres despite creeping self-doubt. A train and truck help the sleigh along, and when she wishes she were big, fast, and powerful like them, they offer encouragement and counsel patience. When a storm descends after the sleigh strikes out on her own, an unnamed girl playing in the snow brings her to a group of children who all take turns riding the sleigh down a hill. When the girl brings her home, the sleigh is crestfallen she didn’t reach the North Pole. A convoluted happily-ever-after ending shows a note from Santa that thanks the sleigh for giving children joy and invites her to the North Pole next year. “At last she understood what she was meant to do. She would build her life up spreading joy, one child at a time.” Will she leave the girl’s house to be gifted to other children? Will she stay and somehow also reach ever more children? Readers will be left wondering. (This book was reviewed digitally with 11-by-18-inch double-page spreads viewed at 31.8% of actual size.)
Sadly, the storytelling runs aground. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-72822-355-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: Aug. 17, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2020
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